How Does Vaulty Work?

Vaulty is designed to protect your private photos and videos while giving you full control over where your content lives. It does this without ever sending your files to Vaulty’s servers. Here’s how it works and what you need to know to keep your files safe.

🔐 What Happens When You Hide a File?

When you add a photo or video to Vaulty:

  1. Vaulty saves the photo or video on your device as a .vdata file.
  2. It is stored in the data folder inside your Vault Location, usually Documents/Vaulty. Check Menu > Settings > Media > Vault Location in your main vault for the actual path.
  3. The original file is deleted from your gallery and removed from your device’s public media folders.

The hidden item no longer appears in your normal gallery. For the limits of this protection, see Can Anyone Else See My Private Files?.

🧱 Where Your Files Are Stored

  • Vaulted files are stored in your Vault Location (usually Documents/Vaulty), outside of app-specific storage.
  • Vaulty also renames the file and, for photos and other non-video files, adds a small marker so they can’t be opened or viewed normally. This isn’t encryption, and it’s easy to undo for someone who knows how.

🔒 Who Has Access to Your Files?

The Vaulty app on your device has access to your hidden files so it can protect and manage them for you. But the creators of Vaulty do not have access to your content.

  • Vaulty does not upload, view, or store your content on its servers.
  • Your content stays on your device or, optionally, in your own Google Drive if you enable backup.
  • The creators of Vaulty never see or handle your files.

⚠️ You Are in Control of Your Data

Because Vaulty never sends your files to its servers, you are responsible for making sure they’re safe. If your phone is lost, damaged, or reset, Vaulty cannot recover your hidden files unless:

  • You enabled online backup to Google Drive, or
  • You manually copied the files from Documents/Vaulty before something went wrong

🛡 Recommended: Use Free Google Drive Backup

Vaulty offers free, private backup to your own Google Drive account. Once enabled, Vaulty will:

  • Automatically back up your hidden files
  • Keep them in sync across multiple devices
  • Allow easy recovery if your device is lost or replaced

The Vaulty app needs access to the backup files it created in your Google Drive to sync and restore them. See Is Vaulty Safe? for the privacy details.

For more info see how backup works

🔁 Moving to a New Device Without Drive

If you’re not using online backup, you can still move your content manually:

Copy the whole Vaulty folder from the old phone before opening Vaulty on the new phone for the first time. Follow Manually Back Up or Transfer Vaulty Files for the order of steps, file access, and vault passwords.

Keep your original files until you have checked the transfer. Do not reset or erase the old phone before you have a verified copy.

🧠 You’re in Charge

Keep a completed backup or manual copy so you can recover your files if your phone is lost or replaced. For privacy and access limits, read Can Anyone Else See My Private Files?.

Choose what works best for you:

  • Use online backup for peace of mind
  • Or stay fully offline and make manual backups

Either way, you’re in control.